Little Falls transcript. [volume] (Little Falls, Morrison County, Minn.) 1876-1894, 1887-07-01
The Bride Of Arne Sandstroml.
BY NJ. n. CATHERWoOD.

evening"" said one American to an
other by his side. 'tPeter Lund's
daughter ..1s
| is she marrying a. Sweden" inquired
the second American. -t @:-.
; Eyes; fellow by the name of Arne
Sandstrom. :
II should think old Peter, we'll off
as he is, would nave stood up for an
American son-in-law-you or me, for
instance" observed the second youth,
with laugh.
1.-The girls pretty as pink, and
has had every advantage. 1t is a.
pity TO see her thrown away; but old
Peter has lot Of younger ones COM
ing on"
"That makes it less an object. I
thought she was his only. The Swedes
are clannish-ain't they?"
"Peter Lund's is headquarters for
them, too. Here's one now, hunting
up the wedding. I'll bet she's lust ar.
rived from the old country"
So near the truth was this surmise
that Elsa had been off the train only
twenty minutes, and in that time had
repeated the name OF Arne Sandstrom
interrogatively to every person she
met. She was dased by long riding
and partial fasting, and the dumb
terror OF finding no one to receive her
at the end OF her great Journey. The
letter created with much brain work
to announce her coming ought to have
been in his hands weelzs ago. The in
nocent and iriendless soul did not
know she had omitted all dates and
exactness in her general care for spell
ing and inky loops. So. stepping off
the train into the American small town
at dusk, she saw stretches of summer
prairie to the westward, perky arch1-
lecture, crossing railroad tracks, hur.
rying citizens and lazy loungers-even
the new electric light on its spider.
work iron tower beginning to make a
CHASTITY powerful star far above her
head. She saw baggage and piles of
express matter, hotel runners and
other women starting toward their as
sured homes tucked laughing and
chatting under their husbands arms;
but she saw not one face or one kind
hand ready to bid her welcome, who
had ventured thousands Of miles alone
across ocean, across cOntinent-tO
marry her bethrothed lover, Arne
SandstrOm.
Hearing his name spoken, shestood
still upon the sidewalk, shrinking and
timid, but directly in front OF the
young men, and inquired using hands
,,,Ao
Of voice, "Arne Sandstrom?"
"She wants to know where he is"
explained one American to the other.
Right over there; that big house." ne
returned, talking also with gestures,
"where you see it lighted up. She
doesn't understand. Arne Sandstrom
over there. Getting married! Yes, yes.
Arne Sandstrom. Here, Billy, you
trot out little Swede gibberish, can't
you? You've been among them more
than have"
"Arne Sandstrom derover," ex-
claimed the other, pointing to Peter
Lund's house, with a. fine assumption
OF handling the language we'll. "Arne
Sandstrom jifta tonight, you know"
"Iifta" said Elsa, shrinking down
in stature.
"She's got hold of it. That's all
right. You'll be in time for the we'd
ding"
"She didn't understand; and she
thought we were making fun of her."
said ono Of the lads as they sauntered
on.
''She did understand, and there
she goes straight across the street.
Brush up in the languages, young man,
and make yourself as useful to the
public as am"
When Elsa had entered the Lund
premises, however, she did not ring
the bell, but wavered around the house,
looking up at the lighted windows,
and shifting her little bundle from one
arm to the other. She had other bag
gage at the station, but it seemed no
lonter worth while There was g. west
ern veranda, on the lowest step of
which she sat down in quiet stupOr
to collect herself for some determined
movement.
Anguish and disappointment must
be the natural lot in this world, only
sha had not lived enough years to find
it out before. Though summer dark
ness had come, the after glow was
still SO brlght in the west that it half
quarreled with the abundant lamp
light. Elsa could hear the front gate,
the crunch OF coming footsteps and
frequent peals OF the door bell, as she
sat drawn together, and the eternal
minutes travelled on.
Peter Lund's house WAS full OF Joy
full stir. China and silver tinkled in
the open dining room, where several
women were putting last touches to
the tables. Girls flew up and down
the back stairway, calling to one an
other in Swedish.
Zone thing is sure, Yennie Yonsen,"
called q voice in the home tongue,
"there will not be enough married wom-
en- to take the bride from us girls in
the wedding dance; so now what will
Arne Sandstrom do?"
Three OF them conspired together by
the western dining-roo ON door, bobbing
their tlaxen heads, all laughing and
talking at once in their light happiness,
far above the unseen stranger on the
step.
"Who told me Arne Sandstrom left
q betrothed girl in Svadia?'' said one,
lowering her voice to grave colloquy.
"Oh, we'll, she married herself, of
course" replied another; land any
man who could get Lena Lund would
take her." a r
'Lena's so pretty" -
"LenA's rich"
elena can sing and play better than
some Amerikanns." ...' -.
LENA has ten new dresses. Arne
will not have to put his hand in his
pocket for many a day" a. 81,
"she. is not spoiled Herewith. l al
ways liked her"